This video segment discusses the concept of "quarter step guitar tuning," also known as "drop tuning" or "half-step down tuning." It explains that this tuning, where the guitar strings are lowered by approximately 50 cents (or about 12.5 Hz relative to A440), was intentionally used by some guitarists, most notably Dimebag Darrell of Pantera. The video traces the historical origins of this tuning, suggesting it arose partly due to the limitations of analog recording and tuning methods in the past. Musicians would often tune to an available instrument like a piano, and discrepancies in analog transfers from master tapes to vinyl records could lead to pitch variations. Consequently, an entire generation of guitarists learned to play along with these records, inadvertently adopting the slightly detuned pitch. Examples of songs where this tuning might have been used or learned from include AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and Van Halen's work. The video concludes by providing a practical tuning reference, suggesting setting a tuner to 427.5 Hz to achieve this quarter-step drop from the standard A440 tuning.

dredimura

Let's talk about quarter step guitar tuning. There are guitarists that use this tuning intentionally. Most famously, Dimebag Darrell from Pantera.

You see, before the days of digital tuning, musicians in the studio would have tuned to a piano or someone else's instrument. Analog recording was also an inexact science, and there were discrepancies when transferring the audio from the master tape to the vinyl record.

Then, an entire generation of guitar players started to learn to play to these records. Yeah, the records that were recorded at the wrong pitch. To play along, musicians would have tuned their guitars to the record. Those records include "Highway to Hell," "Ride the Lightning," "Master of Puppets," not to mention Van Halen.

This tuning is 50 cents or about 12.5 Hertz lower than standard A440. So, you can set your tuner to 427.5 to tune down by a quarter step.

Tune like PANTERA, AC/DC, and Van Halen…

let's talk about quarter step guitar
tuning there are guitarists that use
this tuning intentionally most famously
Dimebag Daryl from panta you see before
the days of digital tuning musicians in
the studio would have tuned to a piano
or someone else's instrument analog
recording was also an inexact science
and there were discrepancies when
transferring the audio from the master
tape to the vinyl record then an entire
generation of guitar players started to
learn to play to these records yeah the
records that were recorded at the wrong
pitch to play along musicians would have
tuned their guitars to the
record those records include Highway to
Hell Meade death P cell not to mention
Van Halen this tuning is 50 Cents or
about 12 1/ 12 Hertz lower than standard
a440 so you can set your tuner to 4275
to tune down by a quarter
step

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Tune like PANTERA, AC/DC, and Van Halen…

Transcription